1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a modular production device for integral fibre semi-finished products and a method for the creation of endless fibre composite components having a hollow body structure after the production of such integral fibre semi-finished products.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various methods are known for producing fibre semi-finished products that are re-processed into motor vehicle components and that provide high levels of mechanical strength with a simultaneously low weight. The production of the motor vehicle components is carried out from fibre semi-finished products that form fibre composite components by adding a matrix material to the fibre cores or webs and subsequent curing. The fibre cores or webs can be cut by hand or machine, laid and layered on top of one another according to the structural loads. Here, the individual layers can be fixed by adhesive sprays or sewing, for example. The fibre premoulding created in this way can then be inserted into a mould and then soaked with a resin by hand lamination or vacuum infusion.
Manual production is time-consuming, leads to high tolerances and is carried out without endless fibres, at the expense of mechanical strength, whereas, with the automatic laying method, predetermined lengths of an endless material are cut by a machine and can be laid automatically on a flat or curved shape. There are no endless fibres present in the final product, such that this also has lower levels of mechanical strength.
The filament winding method is used to lay the endless fibre strands, also known as rovings, onto a fundamentally cylindrical shape. Fibres are hereby positioned to lie very tight and close to one another, with a high level of dimensional accuracy. To wind the fibres, a body is necessary, which gives its later shape to the component, wherein only simple cylindrical geometries have been implemented thitherto.
Complex geometries can be achieved by stitching; here, a further roving is fixed to the carrier material by threading. With this method, the roving can follow almost any curve progression; in this instance, however, it is difficult to have large wall thicknesses.
Based on the prior art, the object is provided to create a production device for integral fibre semi-finished products made from endless fibres for the production of hollow bar elements, which can have a complex geometry and still have a high level of tensile strength, compressive strength and torsional strength.